8 Things To Make When You Don't Have Time To Cook

We talk about not having time to cook a lot. But, the underlying problem is more about recipes that take forever to prep or have to be simmered away for hours. If something is actually doable in 30 minutes or less, we could probably find that extra half hour. We all have our go-to recipe like that — one that's quick, easy, and doesn't really require cooking. After we've exhausted that back-pocket fave, though, we're back to having to figure out what to make and not having enough hours in the day to spend actual time in the kitchen.

To help solve this conundrum, we came up with eight quick meal ideas for our rolodex. Make them when you absolutely don't have time to cook and then feel like a BOSS when you end up with a cheap, healthy, homemade dish.

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Ahead, find eight 15-minute recipes (they're really more like guidelines) for what to make when you're super busy, have no clue what to eat, and don't want to end up slurping down a dinnertime bowl of cereal for the third time this week.

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Illustrated by Louisa Cannell.

If you keep these ingredients on hand, you'll never be more that 15 minutes away from a fancy-looking (and fancy-tasting!) bowl.

InstructionsCut bagel in half and spread with tomato sauce or pesto. Top with cheese and any other thinly sliced toppings. Put the halves on aluminum foil on a cookie sheet and broil until cheese melts and veggies begin to char. Top with basil, red pepper flakes, and parmesan, if desired.